09112024-LSTL-01.qxd 11/8/2024 8:38 PM Page 1 c m y b VETTAIYAN GOES DIGITAL Tamil action-drama Vettaiyan will premiere on Prime Video on November 8. Directed by TJ Gnanavel, the film, starring Rajinikanth and Amitabh Bachchan, boasts of a stellar ensemble cast, including Rana Daggubati, Dushara Vijayan, Manju Warrier, Ritika Singh, and others. TRIBUNE Another threat Life PHOTOS: RAVI KUMAR Salman Khan has again received another threat message on Thursday, two days after he got a death threat allegedly from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. LUDHIANA | SATURDAY | 9 NOVEMBER 2024 Corbusier’s legacy in Baghdad Vikrant Parmar On the inaugural day of the Abhivyakti Season 4 Lit Fest at Chandimandir, celebrated actor Boman Irani was the toast of the audience with his wit and sagacity Mona Celebrated actor and now director, Boman Irani is a master class in himself — not just in movie-making, but also life! The keynote speaker at Abhivyakti Season 4 — Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) Lit Fest at Chandimandir on Friday, such is his magic that the spacious venue was full — at nine in the morning! Selfies with pretty ladies, dressed to nine in their nine yards, enthusiastic students clad in winter uniforms to attentive Army men, and women, in their uniforms — each wanted a piece of Boman’s bounteous pie. So, when Dr Asthana of Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., took to the podium, he lived up to the expectations! Boman, an anxious, dyslexic, shy kid with dyscalculia and stutter was raised in an all-women household with his buas, masis, mamis and chachis fussing over the bechara kid! Till his mother, a young widow in debt, took over the financial reins of the house and her child. Knowing that little Boman found true happiness on stage, she made sure he pursued the path. A waiter, a photographer, a theatre artiste… Applause as a film actor was to come to him slightly later in life. But when it did, Boman was prepared! His entry into Rajkumar Hirani’s Munna Bhai MBBS was by fluke or fate, you decide — Boman recounts the experience. Ram Madhvani made a film Boman of the moment! Let’s Talk with Boman on a handicam. The film was never released, but as it was being edited another filmmaker had a look and enquired who the actor was. He gave Boman two lakh rupees as advance for his ‘next’ film. There was no story, no film at that time. Finally, months later, Boman got a brief about the film — ‘a gunda who wants to be a doctor’. And his role — a doctor who keeps laughing! Boman couldn’t have found anything more ludicrous than this but when he met Rajkumar Hirani, he fell in love with the script and the film we all have come to love! The man who gave the advance was Vidhu Vinod Chopra, who knew that once the cinema discovered Boman, he would have no dates! Two decade on, Boman now has a film company and his debut film as director, The Mehta Boys, has won ‘The Best Feature Film’ award at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival and Best actor for Boman at International HEARTFELT HOMAGE Pooja Batra Film Festival of South Asia (IFFSA), Toronto Film Festival. Looking forward to the India premiere at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa, he is looking at release by next year. Boman levels the credit to team, while taking some in his characteristic zestful way. “We won the Best Film at Chicago and the Best Actor at Toronto. It was a team effort. And even the director was not too bad, his name is Boman Irani. He helped me a little bit.” Having done it all, its film writing and writing in general that Boman stressed on. “I am overwhelmed at the response at AWWA Lit Fest. The most important is what’s going to be the by-product of all of this — it is going to be writers who will come up with their stories, who are going to publish it. It’s a meeting place, it’s a Literary Fest. And I’m always there to support any kind of artistic endeavour. For me, the most important thing in the world is something that keeps me going. So, this is not just a festival where people are well-dressed and come out in the morning. It’s about celebrating literature and artistic interpretation. Coming to the literary festival this year is important for me because writing is a very, very unappreciated aspect of filmmaking!” Meanwhile, actress Pooja Batra was also present on the inaugural day of the Lit Fest. Harpreet Sandhu and Boman Irani Inside a heavily packed auditorium, a heavily accented French artist discussed his art on a sultry afternoon at the Panjab University on Thursday. As Louis-Cyprien Rials drew parallels of Baghdad gymnasium, designed by the master architect Le Corbusier, with his creations in Chandigarh, one went back in time to an era when these buildings were conceptualised. “Perhaps, the planning for both Chandigarh and this gymnasium went on simultaneously. Baghdad gymnasium, a sports complex in the capital of Iraq, was designed by Le Corbusier under the commission of King Faisal II in 1956, for potential use in the 1960 summer Olympics. However, it finally took shape in 1980, years after he passed away. But the marked imprint of Le Corbusier truly reflects in this building that has stood the test of time,” shared Rials. A photographer and videographer by passion, Rials also presented a short video clip of the building. Like expected, it was journey to the buildings of Corbusier’s time, with the marked promenade that led up to the top and a lot of open spaces — much like the famous Students’ Centre of PU! The presentation, organised by the MN Sharma Architectural Society, Chandigarh, in French artist Louis-Cyprien Rials’ presentation in the City Beautiful was a refreshing trip to Baghdad Gymnasium, designed by Le Corbusier PHOTO: RAVI KUMAR collaboration with the Department of English and Cultural Studies and Department of History, Panjab University, was sure a refreshing look at Corbusier’s legacy. “He also wanted a green cover around the building, as is the case in Chandigarh, but in a semi-arid area like Iraq that was next to impossible. Also, the volatile situation did not help much,” said Rials. Born in Paris in 1981, Rials is an avid traveller, especially through war zones and areas Oscar winning-actor Joaquin Phoenix, who played the villainous Roman emperor Commodus in the 2000 film Gladiator, was told he was being ‘unprofessional’ by Russell Crowe on the sets of the Ridley Scott movie. Scott, who has directed Gladiator II starring Paul Mescal, said, “Joaquin was in his prince’s outfit saying, ‘I can’t do it’. I said, ‘What?’ And Russell said, ‘This is terribly unprofessional’.” About how he convinced Phoenix to stay in the film, Scott said, “I can act as a big brother or dad. But I’m quite a friend of Joaquin’s. Gladiator was a baptism of fire for both of us in the beginning.” The film ended up winning five Oscars, including best picture. Phoenix and Scott later worked together in their careers for the 2023 historical drama Napoleon. Phoenix recently said one of his favourite things on sets was a lack of ego! He said that Lady Gaga, who was his co-star on Joker: Foile À Deux, displayed no diva tendencies when they were working together. Meanwhi, Gladiator II is an Irish star Paul Mescal, who steps into the big arena with his headlining role in Gladiator II after breakout performances in Normal People and Aftersun, said he felt a sense of relief when he realised that the nature of his job remained the same on the Ridley Scott-directed movie, despite its scale. The actor, 28, admitted that he initially found it difficult to wrap his head around the film, Scott’s ambitious follow-up to his 2000 classic, which won five Oscars, including best picture and best actor trophy for lead star c m y b have been better,” shared Rials, who has presented his work in many group and solo exhibitions across the globe. What stands out most in his creations is the humane angle, which paints a mystique-infused picture of these violence-scarred areas and presents them in new light. Heading to Kabul next, was he ever afraid to visit a geopolitically sensitive zone? “No, never. I have a French passport,” he quipped. A lot of guts, gumption! Joaquin Phoenix was called ‘unprofessional’ by Russell Crowe on Gladiator sets Blast from the past RIDLEY SCOTT JOAQUIN PHOENIX epic historical action film. Serving as a sequel to Gladiator (2000), it stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, Connie Nielsen, and Denzel Washington. Here’s the Gladiator! Boman Irani, the illustrious actor and writer, in a momentous tribute to the upcoming 555th Prakash Purab of Guru Nanak, released an exquisite pictorial art work depicting the visuals of sacred Gurdwara Ber Sahib, Sultanpur Lodhi, during his visit to Punjab. The pictorial brochure has been crafted by Punjab’s eminent author, nature artist and heritage promoter, and former Additional Advocate General, Punjab, Harpreet Sandhu. Acknowledging Sandhu’s dedicated efforts, Boman said, “This pictorial work is not just a compilation of visuals, but a heartfelt homage to the sanctity and serenity of the sacred shrine Ber Sahib, situated in Sultanpur Lodhi.” of conflict. He uses photography, videos and installations to paint a poignant picture of these turbulent zones, and displays it for the world out there to witness, reflect. “Heritage definitely pays the price of war. Everything collapses; nobody bothers about buildings when there is scant food and polluted water! When I first saw this gymnasium, it was under the control of militia and not in a very good shape. Since the last couple of years, things Russell Crowe. “It was something that was more difficult in prep to kind of wrap my head around. But once we got to work, once the camera started turning over and once we got on set, obviously, the scale of the sets are much bigger, I felt a deep sense of relief. I was like, ‘Oh, my job as an actor is the exact same’,” Mescal said. In the movie, he stars alongside cinema veterans like Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal and Connie Nielsen. Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger round out the cast of the movie. — PTI Jacobi and Nielsen reprise their roles from the first film. Mescal portrays Lucius, the son of Maximus and Lucilla, who becomes a gladiator after his home is invaded by the Roman army led by General Marcus Acacius. Lucius seeks revenge against Acacius and fights as a gladiator for Macrinus, a former slave who plans to overthrow the emperors Geta and Caracalla. — IANS